Bafana coach Hugo Broos happy with performances of newcomers in draw with Tanzania

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos was satisfied with the performances of some of the new players during the 0-0 international friendly draw with Tanzania at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Friday. 

Broos handed out a number of debuts in his new-look Bafana side and he was happy with the way they accounted for themselves despite playing together for the first time for the national team. 

In what turned out to be a dull match played under cold conditions in Polokwane, Broos gave starting opportunities to Ricardo Goss, Deano van Rooyen, Thabo Moloisane, Kulumane Ndamane, Fawaaz Basadien, Simphiwe Selepe, Tshepang Moremi and Ashley Cupido. 

Some of the these players ordinarily would not have been considered but they benefited from the absence of their Mamelodi Sundowns counterparts who leave at the weekend for the Fifa Club World Cup in the US. 

“After every game we give jerseys to players who were earning their first cap and we gave about eight after this match,” he said as he reflected on the share of the spoils with the Taifa Stars. 

Broos said they would have preferred to win the match but he was happy with how his new-look team held their own against a strong Tanzania side that has been together for a while. 

“And that means we had a new team with players who never played together at the national team before. For sure we wanted to win and we could have won because we had some chances but I said it before: the game result is not important.

“The performance was more important and I am happy with what I saw.” 

Broos said it was not easy to put together a team made up of new players in a short space of time and he also didn't want to be hard on those who were not on top of their game.

“Don’t think if you bring 23 players together it is easy, we also had an opponent that was not easy and played behind the ball and to try to be dangerous on transition. 

“As far as I can remember, there was no chance for Tanzania today, there was nothing. I couldn’t ask for more, I am happy with the performance of some players. 

“There were others it could have been better but it was for the first time and I can’t be hard on them because the discipline was there. First half was there but the structure was a little bit out of the team in the second half. I saw what I wanted to see and that is the most important thing.”